Southwest Arm remembers the 87 Navy veterans from the First World War

Lester Green of the Southwest Arm Historical Society with the banners of the 87 Royal Navy veterans from the First World War. For more photos from the event in Little Heart’s Ease and Hodge’s Cove on Nov. 8, go to www.thepacket.ca. - Contributed

Historical Society’s ‘Where Once They Sailed’ project recognized

As their stories have been committed to print and banners for all to see and remember, the 87 men from Southwest Arm who served in the Royal Navy during the First World War will never be forgotten.

A project entitled “Where Once They Sailed” by the Southwest Arm Historical Society, saw Lester Green painstakingly collect, record and write pieces on all the veterans — just as they did for local vetarans of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment a couple of years ago.

On Thursday, Nov. 8, at a ceremony at Southwest Arm Academy in Little Heart’s Ease and the Lions Club in Hodge’s Cove, students, government officials, Legion members, Naval officers from the HMCS Cabot, and family members of the First World War veterans gathered to recognized the project.

In addition to a series of articles published in The Packet, there are also banners produced for each of the Naval veterans and a booklet, which can be purchased from the Society, which shows all the men as well.

Green told The Packet it brings him great joy to see the families be able to see the product of his work.

“For me, it’s a sense of pride and I’m humble for the opportunity to do this.”

One of the most fulfilling things, he said, has been providing these pieces of history to members of families who perhaps have never seen or heard of parts of the history of their fathers or grandfathers.

He’s also proud to know that all future relatives and descendants of these men will have this resource as a record of who their family members were — be it great-grandparents or great great-grandparents.

“Every single story I did was priceless, to sit and learn about these individuals.”